This Oregon gubernatorial candidate may not be anywhere near the lead, but it sure is putting up a graphite.A pencil is asking Oregonians for their votes in the state’s 2026 race for governor. Campaigning as a write-in candidate, the utensil is asking people to write “Pencil” on their ballots as a way to make the point that Oregon’s politicians should prioritize fixing the state’s education system.Pencil is hoping to raise awareness about Oregon ranking last among states in its demographically-adjusted 4th-grade reading scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress’s annual report card. The person behind the Pencil is J. Schuberth, a former professor and education advocate.
“The point of Pencil’s campaign is to alert Oregonians that we are 50th out of 50 states in 4th-grade literacy,” Pencil told the Washington Examiner. “This isn’t our kids, parents, or teachers’ fault. It’s a systemic problem, and we can fix it.”
Schuberth, who has dyslexia and a child with dyslexia, says those experiences have made them “know the life-changing power of having teachers who are trained to teach all children to read.” Schuberth filed “Pencil PAC” with the state of Oregon in late February to fund the symbolic run for governor. To make it clear, Schuberth is not running for governor; Pencil is, as a write-in candidate.
